Improvement in car-couplings



.D. P. CUBBERLEY.

CAR-COUPLING. No. 181,916. Patented Sept. 5, 1876.

WIITN,ESSES: Mam!!! ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON u C UNITED STATES. PATENTQFFIOE.

DAVID P. GUBBERLEY, OF MARION, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,916, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed August 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, DAVID P. OUBBERLEY, of Marion, in the county ofGrant and State of Indiana, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to. theaccompanying drawing, forming part of .this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

My invention relates to certain improvements in automatic car-couplin gsof that class in which a slotted latch is pivoted to a crosspin, so asto allow the draft-strain to be exerted through the end of the latch, asan abutment directly against the draw-bar instead of against thecross-pin.

My improvements consist in making the latch in the form of a bar of acomparatively small transverse dimension, and inclining its rear end,against which the link bears, upwardly and to the front, so as to causethe link to rise when the draft is exerted, and occupy a position morein alignment with the greatest strength of the latch-bar, whereby a muchlighter latch may be employed, and the manipulation in disengaging thelink consequently rendered easier, and whereby also the draft'strain ismade to assist in holding the latch down, the relative arrangement ofthe latch to the draw-bar serving also to facilitate the entrance anddisengagement of the link, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the draw-bar, B the latch, andO the link. The draw-bar is made of metal, slotted at a, for themovement of the latch, and tapered at b, for the entrance of the link,which latter is of the prolonged type. r The latch B consists of astrong metal bar of comparatively small transverse dimensions slotted atc, and loosely pivoted upon the cross-pin d, so as to move freelythereon, and be held in place thereby, but permitted by reason of theslot to abut with its rounded end against a corresponding curved seat inthe draw-bar, whenever the draft is applied, so as to transfer the draftstrain from the cross pin to the draw-bar by the abutment of its roundedend against the latter. The rear end of the latchbar is inclinedupwardly and to the front, so that the traction of the train compels thelink to rise and occupy a position more in alignment with the line ofgreatest strength'of the latch-bar. This permits the latch-bar to bemade lighter, which is desirable, as facilitating the disengagement ofthe link, and utilizes the draft also to hold the latch-bar down, andprevent its uprising, and the possible accidental disconnection of thetrain.

The upper portion of the latch-bar is provided with an eye, f, formedtherewith, and

extending upward through the slot a in the draw-bar to a convenientposition for the uncoupling of the devices.

To permit the easy elevation of said latchbar its lower rear end isslightly rounded at 0, so as to pass over the link when elevated withoutjamming, and in order to prevent the link from accidentally forcing itsWay beneath this rounded end of the latch, the draw-bar is recessed atg, with a depression corresponding to the rounded end of the latch, inwhich depression the saidrounded end rests, and is thus removed andprotected from the disengaging tendency of the link.

The nearly horizontal arrangement of the latch, it will be seen, notonly permits the same to be lighter, and still maintain a sumcientdegree of strength, but it also makes a more gradually tapering throatto the drawbar, which renders the entrance of the link easier, andconsequently reduces vthe wear and tear involved in the battering of thelink against a more nearly vertical face of the latch.

In defining the limits of my invention, I would have it understood thatIam aware of the fact that the broad featuresof a pivoted slotted latchaccompanying my invention are not new, and that a latch-bar of the samegeneral shape as mine is shown in the Patent N 0. 132,619; but the saidlatch-bar is not slotted, and the rear upper portion of the same isextended so as to form a curve or concavity in which the link rests.This extension prevents the rising of the link beyond a given point,

and consequently prevents the wedging or jamming action of the linkbetween the rear end of the latch and the upper part of the draw-bar,which wedging action is essential v with so light a form of latch asmine, in order to hold the same down, and prevent its accidentaluprising.

In the patent referred to, moreover, a downwardly-projectin g lug isemployed for distributin g the draft strain, which both obstructs theentrance of the link and the disengagement An improvement incar-couplings, consisting of the latch-bar B, having an eye, f. slot I),and a rear end, inclined upwardly and forwardly in a straight line toits upper edge, in

combination with the link 0, and the drawbar A, having cross-pin (1,slot 00, and depression 9', substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 7th day ofAugust, 1876.

D. P. CUBBERLEY,

Witnesses AMos W. HART, SoLoN O. KEMON-

